Aug

20

From Here :

Lifestyle Evolution in Alpha-Proteobacteria

Interestingly, species from a group called Ochrobactrum, which is most closely related to Brucella has been isolated from an astonishing number of different sources…..For example, Ochrobactrum is frequently isolated from Humans for which it is considered an opportunistic pathogen.

Moreover, two species have been shown to form associations with the nematode pathogen and insect - symbiont P. Luminescens in its nematode host…and another is a nitrogen fixing symbiont of Anaplasma……Ochrobactrum species have been described as free living, but since the majority of isolates are from patients, and since most environmental strains are from the Rhizosphere, this description may not be entirely correct…

Other related species of Alpha-Proteobacteria include :

Bartonella, Brucella, Ochrobactrum, Mesorhizobium, Agrobacterium, Sinorhizobium, Rhodopseudomonas, Bradyrhizobium, Gaulobacter, Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Anaplasma and Erlichia

Aug

19

From here :

AFLP was used to analyze the genetic diversity among Ochrobactrum strains. AFLP patterns showed a great genomic variability that separated the samples into three distinct clusters.

Ochrobactrum intermedium was found to be closely related to Brucella abortus S99.

Ochrobactrum spp. are potential human pathogens. Ochrobactrum anthropi bacteremia is usually associated with contaminated intravenous lines in immunocompromised human patients, water sources, and environmental conditions in hospitals (1, 5, 8, 10, 11). O. anthropi isolates have also recently been obtained from other sources such as water, concrete, soils, termites, feces, activated sludges, oil spills, etc. Many of these isolates present interesting degradative properties not only towards multiple antibiotics but also towards herbicides, hemicellulose, anthracene, and other complex organic molecules including crude oil (2-5, 8, 12, 15, 17, 19, 25), displaying an opportunism that allows them to succeed in a wide range of environments.

Aug

19

Ochrobactrum spp. are human opportunist pathogens

August 19, 2008 | Comments Off

From Here :

Bacteria naturally associated with the symbiont Photorhabdus luminescens subsp. akhurstii were isolated from the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis indica. Bacterial isolates distinct from P. luminescens subsp. akhurstii were obtained from 33% of the samples. Fourteen bacterial isolates, from nematodes collected from three different Caribbean islands, were characterized by conventional phenotypic tests, restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequence analyses of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes (16SrDNAs).
Isolates were grouped into three genotypes, each one being associated with one Caribbean island. Phenotypic characteristics and 16S rDNA analysis showed that the Photorhabdus-associated bacteria were closely related to Ochrobactrum anthropi for the group from Guadeloupe, and to Ochrobactrum intermedium for the two groups from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. No pathogenicity of the Ochrobactrum spp. to the insects Galleria mellonella and Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera) was detected.
Since Ochrobactrum spp. are considered as human opportunist pathogens, the mass production of entomopathogenic nematodes for biological control requires strict vigilance.

Jul

28

From Here :

I immediately knew we had something very important here, and when I researched these special “gliding” bacteria, which move by gliding, perhaps like a snail, rather than by whipping flagella like the common blood-borne bacterial species, I realised we had hit mother-lobe.

Associated with the gliding motion is a unique lipid called capnine, a highly charged lipid, and one which is a strong inhibitor (antagonist) of VDR transcriptional activity.

It really doesn’t matter whether these gliding bacteria harm the body in any other way, by shutting down the AMPs they create an environment where a plethora of other bacteria and viral pathogens can weave their nasty ways upon the host.

Apr

26

From Here :
Theoretically, if one gets too alkaline, there will be as much malfunction as when someone gets too acidic. From a purely theoretical standpoint, one could stop metabolizing key nutrients if they are too alkaline. One could experience their blood not carrying oxygen if too alkaline. One certainly could fail to get hydrated or use water efficiently if too alkaline. These are theoretical possibilities, however, not empirical realities.

More Here :

Apr

25

From Here

Government regulatory agencies, the medical scientific research community, aligned with physician groups, and the news media, combine to create a strong anti-dietary supplement faction in America….and the UK

Apr

24

From Here

….Kirk was developing the market in the West for two types of GM cotton. Bt cotton was engineered with a gene from a soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis. Organic farmers use the natural form of the bacterium as an insecticide, spraying it occasionally during times of high pest infestation. Monsanto engineers, however, isolated and then altered the gene that produces the Bt-toxin, and inserted it into the DNA of the cotton plant. Now every cell of their Bt cotton produces a toxic protein. The other variety was Roundup Ready® cotton. It contains another bacterial gene that enables the plant to survive an otherwise toxic dose of Monsanto’s Roundup® herbicide. Since the patent on Roundup’s main active ingredient, glyphosate, was due to expire in 2000, the company was planning to sell Roundup Ready seeds that were bundled with their Roundup herbicide, effectively extending their brand’s dominance in the herbicide market.

In the summer of 1997, Kirk spoke with a Monsanto scientist who was doing some tests on Roundup Ready cotton. Using a “Western blot” analysis, the scientist was able to identify different proteins by their molecular weight. He told Kirk that the GM cotton not only contained the intended protein produced by the Roundup Ready gene, but also extra proteins that were not normally produced in the plant. These unknown proteins had been created during the gene insertion process.

Gene insertion was done using a gene gun (particle bombardment). Kirk, who has an undergraduate degree in biochemistry, understood this to be “a kind of barbaric and messy method of genetic engineering, where you use a gun-like apparatus to bombard the plant tissue with genes that are wrapped around tiny gold particles.” He knew that particle bombardment can cause unpredictable changes and mutations in the DNA, which might result in new types of proteins.

The scientist dismissed these newly created proteins in the cotton plant as unimportant background noise, but Kirk wasn’t convinced. Proteins can have allergenic or toxic properties, but no one at Monsanto had done a safety assessment on them. “I was afraid at that time that some of these proteins may be toxic.” He was particularly concerned that the rogue proteins “might possibly lead to mad cow or some other prion-type diseases.”

Mar

14

What an arrogant and ill informed respose. I am shocked and upset.

The fact is, my GP is unable to clinically diagnose Lyme Borreliosis.

So at this stage, the informed patient, concerned about deteriorating health might make a request for a test.

My LB test came back from Southampton with a note …”question rising titers if recently bitten” .

My GP did not understand this sentence. I don’t understand this sentence.

Does anybody understand this sentence?

I have had more than 10 tick bites. So what are the “rising titers.” I was treated as being negative.

Typically, the majority of people bitten by an infected tick DO NOT develop a rash and there is no mention of the potential bacterial and viral co-infections which can be present, (with or without Lyme Borreliosis) in a tick’s saliva.

I must point out also that the vectors of Lyme Borreliosis are numerous, from the mouse to the deer.
How frustrating.

There are other inaccuracies and all are standard denials.

Has anybody even thought about this reply. It is beyond belief.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, you should be ashamed.

From Here :

Details of Petition:

“That funding and resources be urgently made available and used to improve all aspects of the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, monitoring, public awareness and research of Lyme disease and its associated tick-borne infections, in order to improve the poor clinical outcome for people with these diseases in the UK.”

The Prime Minister’s Reply :

Clinicians in the UK have ready access to the best diagnostic tests available for Lyme disease. NHS diagnostic tests for Lyme disease conform to internationally agreed criteria and the tests are freely available within the NHS. Likewise, appropriate treatment with antibiotics is readily available for all those diagnosed with Lyme disease. Routine surveillance for Lyme disease is in place and was enhanced in 1996. Surveillance is undertaken by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Its Lyme Borreliosis Specialist Diagnostic service provides not only diagnostic laboratory confirmation in support of clinical assessment but also provides advice and support to clinicians through its network of experts in infectious diseases, neurology, rheumatology and other specialities that have a particular interest in Lyme disease.

The internationally agreed criteria adopted by the UK for diagnostic tests for Lyme disease ensure that appropriate and standardised interpretation of tests is made across the UK. These criteria (Annex 1) are based upon stringent interpretation of serological tests for specific antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Diagnostic testing is a two stage process: testing for the presence of antibodies to B. burgdorferi followed by specific immunoblot (Western blot) tests on all specimens that react in preliminary tests. The significance of the results is then carefully assessed in the light of the patient’s clinical signs and any history they have of exposure to ticks. It is accepted that diagnosis of Lyme disease is not straightforward and this is why it is particularly important for international authoritative experts, whose work in this field is peer-reviewed within the scientific community, to agree on validated testing methodologies.

The majority of people infected suffer only mild symptoms and will not require any treatment. Clinical symptoms are typically an initial raised red rash (erythema migrans) that spreads around the site of the tick bite. For those in whom illness develops, a short course of antibiotic treatment (using doxycycline or amoxicillin) is usually successful. On rare occasions, some people develop more serious symptoms. Treatment of late stage Lyme disease is also through antibiotics. However, long-term use of antibiotics is not indicated for the treatment of Lyme disease.

Sound surveillance for reporting of Lyme disease in people is in place in the UK. This surveillance system is based on laboratory confirmed reports and, as is stated above, was enhanced in 1996. However, it is accepted that there is under-reporting of Lyme disease, as a clear diagnosis is sometimes possible and appropriate antibiotic treatment given without recourse to laboratory confirmation, for example when clinical symptoms are obvious and the patient has recently been bitten by a tick. Such cases, as well as those where infection is asymptomatic or results in only mild symptoms that do not require medical attention, are not included within the national figures. Laboratory confirmed reports are received by the HPA and this enables an estimate of the rate of the disease to be calculated. As the majority of affected people suffer only mild symptoms and might miss or ignore the initial red rash and recover without recourse to their GP, making the disease notifiable would not detect these cases.

The number of cases of Lyme borreliosis diagnosed each year in the United Kingdom has increased steadily for a number of years, although the number of cases of neuroborreliosis diagnosed annually has remained steady since 2001. This increase is thought to be due to several factors, including increased awareness of the disease, greater access to diagnostic facilities, more sensitive diagnostic methods and the introduction of the enhanced surveillance scheme in 1996. Other factors include:

the increase in the number and geographical range of deer which are important hosts for feeding ticks;
greater public access to some parts of the countryside where Lyme borreliosis occurs, this has come about through changes in access legislation and increased interest in outdoor recreational activities; and
a succession of relatively mild winters which has allowed greater numbers of ticks to survive in the vegetation.
The HPA provides information about Lyme disease for both clinicians and the public on its website. The treatment guidelines for clinicians published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America in 2006 are authoritative and comprehensive, and similar to the recommendations of various European experts. They are available on the HPA website, together with published guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of neuroborreliosis, which is based on careful reviews of the scientific literature and is strongly recommended as valuable resources in the diagnosis and management of patients with suspected neuroborreliosis.

The HPA also works to increase awareness of Lyme disease through presentations to, and discussions with professional, recreational and special interest groups. For example, in spring 2007, before the start of the major tick feeding period, the HPA ran a national campaign to warn people of the risks associated with Lyme borreliosis and of ways to prevent infection. In addition, NHS Direct has published comprehensive information on the disease, including preventive measures, on its website.

The HPA has been at the forefront of close international collaboration, working with experts around the world on a range of issues to improve diagnostic tests and to promote evidence based treatments. International collaboration and research is fundamental to controlling and preventing disease at home. The UK can benefit from the research in countries where Lyme disease rates are much higher such as the USA and other countries in Europe.

The Department of Health does not consider that further research is needed at this time, as much is already known about diagnosis, treatment and mode of transmission of Lyme disease and other tick borne diseases. Lyme disease is already acknowledged as the most important vector borne disease in the UK, though the incidence rate is not high.

Mar

14

Oomycetes

March 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

From here :

…..This shape ruled out candida which has septate hyphae and the pathogens Mucor and rhizopus since they contained chitin.

That pretty much left me with the oomycetes family. I was not happy to learn this. The Irish potato famine pathogen p.infestans, downy mildew, pythiosis, and saprolegnia were among the family along with 500 plus other varieties.

The oomycetes family is a freshwater mold by name but has only recently been understood to be a protist which mimics the shape of mold. They do not like salt.
In aquarium fish, there is a disease that is called Ich. In larger fish it is called saprolegnia and infests salmon and a few other varieties. These are more of the oomycetes family. All members of oomycetes have motile zoospores.

To shorten up this long story I will tell you that the fibers I have on my body were hollow, cellulose, fluorescent and were blue, red, and whitish as well as crystalline. This led me down the rabbit hole to bioengineered fibers containing pathogens.

I next focused on oomycetes pathogens that were being bioengineered into pesticides, and Lagenidium Giganteum came on the scene as a bioengineered Mosquito larvacide. It was touted to be harmless to mammals. It was in the form of “mycelium and oospores” to quote the pan pesticides data base. Sounds like fibers to me. A common practice in making biofibers is to add fluorescent marker dyes. Luciferase and Green fluorescent protein could account for the color and fluorescence Of these strands.

A short time later it was documented that a number of dogs had died from an emerging new oomycetes pathogen called Lagenidium Giganteum.

It presented in cutaneous lesions like pythiosis and then went systemic.
I called an expert in the field named Leonel Mendoza and asked him some questions about this emergent new pathogen.

He said it presented much like pythiosis but was even faster to become systemic. I asked him about human implications land he said “only dogs have it.” Since the disease, pythiosis he compared it to was zoonotic, I really believed that it could possibly be a human pathogen as well.
Just last week I was made aware of the article written by Amy Grooters that indeed the harmless mosquito pathogen Lagenidium Giganteum was now a human disease. There was never a mention of the mosquito pesticide in any of the illness reports. That same University had an ongoing research project on campus as well making bioengineered pesticides. Of course,once they found that pathogen, they knew what to look for. Colleges get grants for research from the government. No mention of their approved pesticide was ever mentioned. Go figure-
Arlene’e note: Isn’t this a dead givaway?

The Morgellons organization as well as a study by NUSPA both show the largest number of cases of this unknown fiber disease are reported from Texas, Florida, and California. These were the same three states that were doing the most extensive spraying with Laginex. Targets of choice included rice fields and soybean fields in addition to wetlands and theme parks. California even had a stronger strain of their own for use. That has now been discontinued without explanation.

There is an ELISA test that is available from Pan American Labs to detect antibodies from both pythium and lagenidium.

Physicians don’t even know it exists. I have not been able to get one of these tests. It is very frustrating to be in an HMO.

Cellulose and glucans (sugar) comprise the structure of oomycetes.
Humans have no enzymes with which to break down this pathogen in the human body.
The cellulose glucan resudue is a natural food for many insects. Infestation with insects can also add to the pathogen as well as bacteria.

I know that the form of lagenidium used for this spray is bioengineered and the cells of many other creatures have been used to make this product durable and give it longevity. In its natural state, lagenidium is a frail and scarce form of oomycetes. In its bioengineered state the product stays active for about a month as used, and will go into a encysted dormant survival phase which lasts up to 7 years. God only knows what the other types of cells were that are a part of this pathogen.

I am doing very well on the holistic medication I am taking. It has been of great help to deal with this disease as a fresh water protist.

The Mycoxan is superior for being able to penetrate the cell walls and kill the pathogen, research xanthones. The candex is a must because it contains the enzymes, cellulase, and hemicellulase which is in fact the enzyme from another variety of mold that is know to break down the cellulose residue. The copper and Guaco address and protist aspect of this disease.
I must say it has been great getting rid of all 30+ nonhealing lesions on my body and well as feeling much better. I will continue my regimen for a while though. It may take a while to break down all encysted spores and get them out of my body. From time to time I am still getting white hardened exudate coming out of my skin. It is a process but so far so good.

Feb

25

From Here :

The genus, Chlamydophilia, as obligate intracellular pathogens, induce chronic scarring in humans.
Chlamydia pneumoniae, a common cause of pneumonia, infects endothelial cells and circulating macrophages.
Evidence that C. pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen in chronic skin ulcers and other inflammatory skin conditions analogous to its role in atherosclerosis is reviewed……

The presence of viable C. pneumoniae in peripheral blood mononuclear cells suggests that C. pneumoniae may accompany these white blood cells to inflamed tissue sites and cause a secondary infection in the inflamed tissue.

Feb

25

From Here:

Diseases where an association has been discovered between chronic Chlamydia infection of body fluids and/or tissues with several disease syndromes of previously unknown etiology in humans which respond to unique antichlamydial regimens include:

Multiple Sclerosisi (MSi)
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RAi)
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Interstitial Cystitis (IC)
Fibromyalgia (FM)
Autonomic nervous dysfunction (AND neural-mediated hypotension);
Pyoderma Gangrenosum (PG)
Chronic Fatigue (CF) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome(CFS).

Diseases where Cpn load has been associated where measured, and where treatment can create improvement in the primary condition:
Chronic hepatitis
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Arthritis
Thyroidosis
Scleroderma
Diabetes mellitus
Graves’ disease
Beschet’s disease and
Graft versus host disease (graft rejection).

Diseases where Cpn may be associated as a secondary or primary factor:

Sepsis syndrome
Cachexia
Circulatory collapse and shock resulting from acute or chronic bacterial infection
Acute and chronic parasitic and/or infectious diseases from bacterial
Viral or fungal sources such as a HIV, AIDS (including symptoms of cachexia, autoimmune disorders, AIDS dementiai complex and infectionsi) can be treated as well as Wegners Granulomatosis.

Various inflammatory diseases, there are certain features of the inflammatory process that are generally agreed to be characteristic. These include fenestration of the microvasculature, leakage of the elements of blood into the interstitial spaces, and migration of leukocytes into the inflamed tissue. On a macroscopic level, this is usually accompanied by the familiar clinical signs of erythema, edema, tenderness (hyperalgesia), and pain. Inflammatory diseases, such as chronic inflammatory pathologies and vascular inflammatory pathologies, including:
Chronic inflammatory pathologies such as aneurysms
Hemorrhoids
Sarcoidosis
Chronic inflammatory bowel disease
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s diseasei and vascular inflammatory pathologies
Disseminated intravascular coagulation
Atherosclerosis
Kawasaki’s pathology
Coronary artery disease
Hypertension
Stroke
Asthma
Chronic hepatitis
Multiple sclerosis
Peripheral neuropathy
Chronic or recurrent sore throat
Laryngitis
Tracheobronchitis
Chronic vascular headaches (including migraines
Cluster headaches and tension headaches) and pneumonia when demonstrated to be pathogenically related to Chlamydia infection.

Treatable disorders when associated with Chlamydia infection also include but are not limited to Neurodegenerative diseases including
Demyelinating diseasessuch as multiple sclerosis and acute transverse myelitis;
Extrapyramidal and cerebellar disorders such as lesions of the corticospinal system;
Disorders of the basal ganglia or cerebellar disorders;
Hyperkinetic movement disorders such as Huntington’s Chorea and senile chorea;
Drug-induced movement disorders such as those induced by drugs which block CNSi dopamine receptors;
Hypokinetic movement disorders
such as Parkinson’s disease;
Progressive supranucleo palsy;
Cerebellar and Spinocerebellar Disorders such as astructural lesions of the cerebellum;
Spinocerebellar degenerations (spinal ataxia)
Friedreich’s ataxia
Cerebellar cortical degenerations
Multiple systems degenerations (MencelDejerine-Thomas
Shi-Drager and Machado Joseph)); and systemic disorders (Refsum’s disease
Abetalipoprotemia, ataxia telangiectasia and mitochondrial multi-system disorder);
Demyelinating core disorders such as:
Multiple sclerosis
Acute transverse myelitis;
Disorders of the motor unit such as neurogenic muscular atrophies (anterior horn cell degeneration) such as
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Infantile spinal muscular atrophy and juvenile spinal muscular atrophy);
Alzheimer’s diseasei;
Down’s Syndrome in middle age;
Diffuse Lewy body disease; Senile Dementia of Lewy body type;
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome;
Chronic alcoholism;
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease;
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
Hallerrorden-Spatz disease; and
Dementia pugilistica

Malignant pathologies involving tumors or other malignancies such as:
Leukemias (acute chronic myelocytic
chronic lymphocytic and/or myelodyspastic syndrome);
Lymphomas (Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas such as malignant lymphomas (Burkitt’s lymphoma or Mycosis fungoides));
Carcinomas (such as colon carcinoma) and metastases thereof;
Cancer-related angiogenesis;
Infantile hemangiomas;
Alcohol-induced hepatitis.
Ocular neovascularization
Psoriasis
Duodenal ulcers
Angiogenesis of the female reproductive tract
can also be treated when demonstrated by the diagnostic procedures described herein to be associated with Chlamydial infection.

An immunocompromised individual is generally defined as a person who exhibits an attenuated or reduced ability to mount a normal cellular or humoral defense to challenge by infectious agents
e.g., viruses, bacterial, fungi and protozoa. Persons considered immunocompromised include malnourished patients, patients undergoing surgery and bone narrow transplants, patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, neutropenic patients, HIV-infected patients, trauma patients, burn patients, patients with chronic or resistant infections such as those resulting from myeloodysplastic syndrome, and the elderly, all of who may have weakened immunei systems. A protein malnourished individual is generally defined as a person who has a serum albumin level of less than about 3.2 grams per deciliter (g/dl) and/or unintentional weight loss greater than 10% of usual body weight.

The course of therapy, serological results and clinical improvements from compassionate antichlamydial therapy in patients diagnosed with the diseases indicated were observed and are reported in Example 5. The data provides evidence to establish that treatment of Chlamydia infection results in the serological and physical improvement of a disease state in the patient undergoing combination therapy. These observations were consistent among a variety of different diseases which fall within a generalized disease class.

Other Diseases of Unknown Etiology with New Evidence for a Chlamydia pneumoniae Etiology

Both C. trachomatis and C. psittaci exhibit a protean disease complex dependent on different serovars. One known basis for this diversity to date is the amino acid sequence of the MOMP. FIG. 1 shows a sequence alignment of various Chlamydia MOMPs. Note that the size and sequence are relatively homologous except for the four variable regions that are responsible for the serovar (serotype) basis of classification. Further, it has been discovered that C. pneumoniae infects blood vessel endothelial cells from which EBs are released in the blood stream. In addition, macrophages are known targets for C. pneumoniae and may serve as reservoirs and provide an additional mechanism of transmission. C. pneumoniae is thus able to spread throughout the human body, establishing infection in multiple sites and in multiple organ systems. Infected sites may exist for an extended period without inducing symptoms that are noticed by the patient or by an examining physician. Sequence variability of MOMPs or other chlamydial antigens may provide a basis for organ specificity while other chlamydial proteins, such as the 60K and 70K heat shock proteins or LPSi, may influence immune response.

C. psittaci and C. pecorum are known to cause a host of infections in economically significant animals. Thus, the teachings of this invention are relevant to animals. Throughout this application and for purposes of this invention, “patient” is intended to embrace both humans and animals. Virtually all rabbits and mice tested to date have PCRi signals for C. pneumoniae. They can be used as appropriate animal models for treatment using specific combination antibioticsi to improve therapy. (Banks et al., Ameri. J. of Obstetrics and Gynecology 138(7Pt2):952-956 (1980)); (Moazed et al., Am. J. Pathol. 148(2):667-676 (1996)); (Masson et al., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 39(9):1959-1964 (1995)); (Patton et al., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 37(1):8-13 (1993)); (Stephens et al., Infect. Immun. 35(2):680-684 (1982)); and (Fong et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 35(1):48-52 (1997)).

Coupled with these developments are the recently developed rabbit models of coronary artery disease, where rabbits exposed to C. pneumoniae subsequently develop arterial plaques similar to humans (Fong et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 35:48-52 (1997)). Most recently, a study at St. George’s Hospital in London found that roughly 3⁄4 of 213 heart attach victims have significant levels of antibodies to C. pneumoniae antibody and that those that have such antibodies achieve significantly lower rates of further adverse cardiac events when treated with antibiotics (Gupta et al., Circulation 95:404-407 (1997)). Taken together, these three pieces of evidence (the bacteria found in diseased tissue, inoculation with the bacteria causes diseases, and treating for the bacteria mitigates disease) make a case for a causal connection.

Feb

20

From Here :
With two major international airports and airplanes flying overhead day and night, it’s no surprise that London has one of the busiest flight paths anywhere in the world.

What might surprise you, though, is that those zigzag white lines across the sky, or contrails, as they’re known, might be having an adverse effect on London’s weather.

Inside Out investigates contrails and whether they could be bad for the capital’s climate….

How quaint …how, ermm, 20th Century…….ha ha ha ha ha…….. Contrails ?????….Reality Check Here…

Feb

17

Blue Nematode

February 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Or Fibre…..

1.jpg
1a.jpg

Feb

13

Cancer and Fungi

February 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

From Here :

Genetics, the battle horse of modern oncology, is about to give up the ghost, together with its endless explanations based on enzymatic and receptor processes. Actually, it has already failed – it is just that no one can think of anything else that can take its place. The consequence of the oncological establishment’s inability to admit the failure of this line of research, which is at this point scientifically indefensible, is the continuous waste of a great quantity of economic, scientific and human resources.

What road to take? Where to look for those minimal logical elements that can shed light on the ignorance that pervades oncology?

Many thinkers – especially biologists – believe that by applying the Darwinian theory to the evolution of living beings, it may be possible to progress down a new path when it comes to the so-called degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiopathies, and mental illness. According to this line of thought, these diseases are not attributable to environmental or genetic factors as is presently believed, but to infections.

Therefore, the answer to the question of what causes a degenerative disease can be found in the discipline that more than anything else has given luster to medicine, and which has promoted medicine from a mere practice to a science, that is microbiology.

It is in fact clear that, with the exception of bacteriology, the state of knowledge in this field of research is still quite limited, especially when it comes to viruses, sub-viruses and fungi, whose pathogenic valence, unfortunately, is little known.

It is true that scholars have given more attention to these biological entities recently, and in fact, the concept of “innocuous co-existence” attributed to many parasites of the body has begun to be questioned with much greater conviction. More determination is needed, however, in this process of the revision of microbiology so that the close connection between micro-organisms and degenerative diseases can be clarified.

I believe that it is by focusing on just one of these shadowy areas – on mycology, the realm of fungi – that it will become possible to discover the correct answers to questions concerning the problem of tumors.

Much evidence indicates that this is the road to take. The analogy between psoriasis – an incurable disease of the skin that many treat as fungus – and tumors, which are also an incurable disease of the organism, the symptomatological overlapping of systemic candidosis and cancer, and the strict genetic relationship between mycetes and neoplastic masses make this clear. These are all elements that support and confirm the point of view that all types of cancer, as happens in the vegetal world, are caused by a fungus.

A fungus infection – that of the Candida species – could supply the explanation for why a tumor occurs, and it is in this direction that research should move in the attempt to solve the problem of cancer once and for all.

Feb

6

From Here :

………The other man attacked was the world’s leading lectins and plant genetic modification expert, UK-based Arpad Pusztai. He was vilified and fired from his research position at Scotland’s Rowett Research Institute for publishing industry-unfriendly data he was commissioned to produce on the safety of GMO foods.

His Rowett Research study was the first ever independent one conducted on them anywhere. He undertook it believing in their promise but became alarmed by his findings. The Clinton and Blair governments were determined to suppress them because Washington was spending billions promoting GMO crops and a future biotech revolution. It wasn’t about to let even the world’s foremost expert in the field derail the effort. His results were startling and consider the implications for humans eating genetically engineered foods.

Rats fed GMO potatoes had smaller livers, hearts, testicles and brains, damaged immune systems, and showed structural changes in their white blood cells making them more vulnerable to infection and disease compared to other rats fed non-GMO potatoes. It got worse. Thymus and spleen damage showed up; enlarged tissues, including the pancreas and intestines; and there were cases of liver atrophy as well as significant proliferation of stomach and intestines cells that could be a sign of greater future risk of cancer. Equally alarming - this all happened after 10 days of testing, and the changes persisted after 110 days that’s the human equivalent of 10 years.

GM foods today saturate our diet. Over 80% of all supermarket processed foods contain them. Others include grains like rice, corn and wheat; legumes like soybeans and soy products; vegetable oils; soft drinks; salad dressings; vegetables and fruits; dairy products including eggs; meat and other animal products; and even infant formula plus a vast array of hidden additives and ingredients in processed foods (like in tomato sauce, ice cream and peanut butter). They’re unrevealed to consumers because labeling is prohibited yet the more of them we eat, the greater the potential threat to our health.

Jan

31

From Here :

Clongen Laboratories

Based on the structures that we observed microscopically from a number of Morgellons patients and the clinical profiles, we have reasons to believe that this organism is not a virus or bacteria. We hypothesize that this organism is a more complex fungus, algae or a novel parasite. The fibers are most likely feeding structures as they have strong resemblance to aerial hyphae observed in many fungal species. Our research is focused on genetic investigations of the DNA in lesions and fibers. Our experiments will include assays that attempt to amplify any bacterial sequences and identify them by DNA sequencing if present to rule out or confirm that the organism is a bacteria as other investigators have hypothesized.

Jan

29

Inflammation

January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

From Here :
Inflammation is a key component of the imune system.
This paper attempts to present a non-analytical holistic view.

Jan

21

From Here :

Cryptostrongylus Pulmoni

Cryptostrongylus Pulmoni is a nematode, or roundworm, that is very small and not visible to the naked eye.
The bright red male measures only 200 to 350 microns in length, while the female is a little less than one millimeter long and apparently blue in appearance.

Its name means hidden lungworm because it has been recovered from upper respiratory sputum coughed up from the lung of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients.

cpulmoni.jpg

Jan

18

Onchocerciasis

January 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Culicoides spp are the intermediate hosts..

From here :
From Here :

The taxonomic status of the 3 species of Onchocerca currently recognized in the USA, and other previously recognized species, is under debate. O cervicalis is found in the ligamentum nuchae and possibly other sites in Equidae.
In cattle, O gutturosa locates in the ligamentum nuchae, and O lienalis in the gastrosplenic ligament.

Adults are associated with connective tissues and are very thin and 3-60 cm long.

Microfilariae are found in the dermis and on rare occasions circulating in peripheral blood.
The microfilariae lack a sheath and are 200-250 µm long with a short, sharply pointed tail. Culicoides spp are the intermediate hosts for O cervicalis , and Simulium spp for O gutturosa and O lienalis .

Jan

7

From Here :

…..Now for more specifics. There are two forms that require immediate identification as to their physical nature, function and purpose. The first of these is a sub-micron repeating filament that is enclosed within a larger bounding filament. The sub-micron filaments can only be seen with fairly advanced microscopy; the bounding filament is visible to the naked eye in many cases. The second form is a circular, spherical or oblate structure that also is measuring at the micron to sub-micron level. The best estimate for the size of this structure is currently on the order of 0.5 to 0.7 microns. Size, as will be seen, is a very important factor in any identification process…..

Jan

6

More Images From Here :

wormhead.jpg
wormtail.jpg

wormborrelia.pngwormborrelia1.jpgwormfamiliar.jpg

More Images Here :

Jan

4

Melanin production provides survival advantages to myriad microbes in the environment and during infection of diverse hosts.
There is conclusive evidence that many types of drugs, including antimicrobial drugs, bind to melanin.
In particular, the melanization of certain fungi is associated with reduced susceptibilities to polyene and echinocandin-type drugs in vitro.

Dematiaceous fungi are darkly pigmented molds that constitutively produce melanin during infection and are extremely difficult to treat with antifungal drugs.
Although the clinical relevance is not clear, antifungal susceptibility testing for filamentous fungi has recently been standardized. Amphotericin B has good activity against most clinically important dematiaceous fungi in vitro, but clinical resistance is not uncommon. Scedosporium prolificans and Scopulariopsis brumptii are consistently resistant to amphotericin B in vitro; and occasional resistance to this drug is reported in several other species, including Chaetomium spp., Curvularia spp., Phialemonium spp., and Exophiala spp.
Echinocandins are not clinically useful against these fungi. The inefficacies of the echinocandins against these fungi and the relative resistance of these fungi to amphotericin B may be associated with the dense production of melanin in these fungi. The broadest in vitro activity against dematiaceous fungi is achieved with azoles .
In this regard, we note that azoles are not bound by melanin.

From Here :

Jan

4

culcoides1.jpgThe Vector - Culicoides
Mansonella ozzardi
Mansonella streptocerca
Mansonella perstans

Jan

4

Abstract :

Thirty or more microfilariae 0.70 -1.32mm were recovered from the homocele of an engorged adult tick I. danmmini that was collected form vegetation on shelter Island New York.
Of approximately 500 collected only 1 other was similarly infected.
Outstanding features in addition to size were absence of cephalic space and the presence nuclei in 2/3 irregular rows extending to the end of a blunt tail.

nematodetick1.gif

Dec

20

From Here :

Dr Harvey Writes :

Dear BMJ Editor,

One notes with interest…and dismay… the number of responses to the Lyme Wars topic thirty years after Steere published the Lyme hypothesis. There should be little residual conflict given that the birth of critical thinking began centuries ago with the Renaissance via many European and UK thinkers, including physician William Harvey (reference intended). The arguments now appearing as BMJ Lyme Wars letters surprisingly ignore the insight shift of Harvey Padua University schoolmate, Nicolaus Copernicus. Although the essence of De motu cordis was that truth lay in the reality at hand, a century earlier Copernicus first made an even more fundamental point, that co-variants do not prove cause-and-effect. Unexpectedly, both concepts are ignored so frequently in the Lyme Wars thread that collectively they illustrate what has happened to recent scientific thinking and immediately clarify how such arguments can occur. Truth seems to lie in the simplest concepts, as Einstein had hoped. Here, brought to a grade school level is the concept that has invalidated most Borreliosis research over the past three decades: The finding of Borrelia in a chronically ill human does not prove Borrelia generated the illness. No one has ever elucidated the mechanism by which Borrelia exerts its claimed pathophysiology.

When Willie Burgdorfer first encountered Borrelia (burgdorferi sensu lato) in acutely ill New England patients, the correlation was initially made. Subsequently, it was verified numerous times in endemic areas of the planet. Ultimately, the numbers reached mathematically validity and in time revealed a zoonosis cycle bridged by at least one arthropod vector. This correlation came from Epidemiology devoid of a pathologic mechanism, but was strong enough to make the case for an acute illness. This method, as weak as it was, gave rise to the present US CDC case criteria for Lyme disease as an acute, readily treatable illness with predictable (but not well understood) signs and symptoms. What then is the dilemma where acute Lyme disease and chronic Lyme disease are juxtaposed in a mortal face-off? Enter semantics.

This dilemma did not occur in a vacuum. Outside the boundary of a relatively limited acute zoonosis, there must exist yet another illness; an illness so serious and pervasive that many astute clinicians and a few scientists would go to any means to give credibility to that illness. An NLM search taking only seconds will indeed uncover a veritable ocean of persistently ill humans with these similar characteristics: Their illness is chronic, multi-systemic, unpredictably varied, possibly life shortening, unsolved and appropriately kept outside the taxonomy of proven illnesses. The number of assigned labels is extraordinarily large, however, and vastly more inclusive than chronic Lyme disease is thought to be. If such an illness exists it necessarily would engender extreme clinical passion. And given no support by traditional science, labels would be found in large numbers, with similar descriptors, and would emerge as historical counterparts. This phenomenon has indeed occurred. Awareness began to appear between 1970-1980. New semantic identifiers such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia syndrome…and since the mid- 1980s, chronic Lyme disease…are only three.[3-13] If we follow the theme of similar intermittent laboratory abnormalities, basic abnormal physical findings and fundamental chronic symptoms, at least two-dozen other groups such as Bannwarth’s syndrome, Ekbom syndrome, Asperger’s syndrome and others emerge.[14-23]

A short foray into the universe of illness labels above reveals similar wars underway since 1980: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) VS chronic Fibromyalgia syndrome (Fibromyalgia); CFS VS chronic Lyme disease (Lyme); Lyme and CFS VS Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) are among the obvious. Clinicians fortunate enough to encounter this larger chronically ill group outside of New England (where vector prevalence of Borrelia is high) were not tempted by Borrelia as a generator of chronic illness.[24-29] Rather, their semantic choices emerged from such random events as participation in recent wars, or travel to high-humidity regions where fungi are rampant.

In summary, Lyme Wars if followed to its root, is a failure of our medical education system to insist on teaching scientific method, and beginning that with the foundation of all truth: language (semantics). Something did likely occur in the world of human disease some 30 years ago as these wars attest to. It could be attributed to the population explosion, global warming, excess computer use, or even larger numbers of vaccines. But, I choose to wait until science shows us the mechanism rather than join the twenty first centurys trust in celebrity (trust papers from the most notable journals or be pulled into the current popular mindset) rather than face the factual illness only where it exists: the patient. Even medical wars are cognitive constructs, generated by the human mind. If we are ever to get the term evidence based medicine correct, this is our wake up call. The evidence as Harvey showed us in the sixteenth century is in the ill (or deceased) human, not textual material often outdated before it reaches print. (812 words)

References

1. Steere, A.C., J.A. Hardin, and S.E. Malawista, Erythema chronicum migrans and Lyme arthritis: cryoimmunoglobulins and clinical activity of skin and joints. Science, 1977. 196(4294): p. 1121-2.

2. Steere, A.C., et al., Lyme arthritis: an epidemic of oligoarticular arthritis in children and adults in three connecticut communities. Arthritis Rheum, 1977. 20(1): p. 7-17.

3. Eidelman, D., Fatigue: towards an analysis and a unified definition. Med Hypotheses, 1980. 6(5): p. 517-26.

4. Ballow, M., et al., Familial chronic mononucleosis. Ann Intern Med, 1982. 97(6): p. 821-5.

5. Uretsky, B.F., Does mitral valve prolapse cause nonspecific symptoms? Int J Cardiol, 1982. 1(5-6): p. 435-42.

6. DuBois, R.E., et al., Chronic mononucleosis syndrome. South Med J, 1984. 77(11): p. 1376-82.

7. Yunus, M.B., Primary fibromyalgia syndrome: current concepts. Compr Ther, 1984. 10(8): p. 21-8.

8. Caligiuri, M., et al., Phenotypic and functional deficiency of natural killer cells in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. J Immunol, 1987. 139(10): p. 3306-13.

9. Byrne, E. and I. Trounce, Chronic fatigue and myalgia syndrome: mitochondrial and glycolytic studies in skeletal muscle. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 1987. 50(6): p. 743-6.

10. McLaughlin, T.P., et al., Chronic arthritis of the knee in Lyme disease. Review of the literature and report of two cases treated by synovectomy. J Bone Joint Surg Am, 1986. 68(7): p. 1057-61.

11. Kriuchechnikov, V.N., [Chronic migrant erythema or Lyme disease--a new tick-borne Spirochaetales infection]. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1985(9): p. 101-9.

12. Eschard, J.P., et al., [Lyme disease without arthritis: presence of antiBorrelia burgdorferi antibodies in meningoradiculitis following chronic erythema migrans]. Presse Med, 1985. 14(28): p. 1517-8.

13. Ryberg, B. and I. Thelin, [Lyme disease in Sweden. A patient with arthralgia associated with chronic erythema migrans]. Lakartidningen, 1984. 81(30-31): p. 2758-60.

14. Calabresi, P.A., et al., Ekbom’s syndrome: lipomas, ataxia, and neuropathy with MERRF. Muscle Nerve, 1994. 17(8): p. 943-5.

15. Sojka, E. and Z. Afeltowicz, [Ekbom's syndrome in a patient with mitral valve disease and subacute endocarditis]. Pol Tyg Lek, 1978. 33(17): p. 691-2.

16. Harriman, D.G., D. Taverner, and A.L. Woolf, Ekbom’s syndrome and burning paraesthesiae. A biopsy study by vital staining and electron microscopy of the intramuscular innervation with a note on age changes in motor nerve endings in distal muscles. Brain, 1970. 93(2): p. 393-406.

17. Fox, W.B., Ekbom’s syndrome. J Am Inst Homeopath, 1967. 60(1): p. 26.

18. Roelcke, U., et al., Untreated neuroborreliosis: Bannwarth’s syndrome evolving into acute schizophrenia-like psychosis. A case report. J Neurol, 1992. 239(3): p. 129-31.

19. Henriksson, A., et al., Immunoglobulin abnormalities in cerebrospinal fluid and blood over the course of lymphocytic meningoradiculitis (Bannwarth’s syndrome). Ann Neurol, 1986. 20(3): p. 337-45.

20. Tantam, D., Asperger’s syndrome. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 1988. 29(3): p. 245-55.

21. Bowman, E.P., Asperger’s syndrome and autism: the case for a connection. Br J Psychiatry, 1988. 152: p. 377-82.

22. Wing, L., Clarification on Asperger’s syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord, 1986. 16(4): p. 513-5.

23. Kerbeshian, J. and L. Burd, Asperger’s syndrome and Tourette syndrome: the case of the pinball wizard. Br J Psychiatry, 1986. 148: p. 731-6.

24. Harvey, W.T. and P. Salvato, “Lyme disease”: ancient engine of an unrecognized Borreliosis pandemic? Medical Hypotheses, 2003. 60(5): p. 742 -759.

25. Burgdorfer, W., Discovery of the Lyme disease spirochete and its relation to tick vectors. Yale J Biol Med, 1984. 57(4): p. 515-20.

26. Pokorny, P., [Incidence of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi in arthropods (Arthropoda) and antibodies in vertebrates (Vertebrata)]. Cesk Epidemiol Mikrobiol Imunol, 1989. 38(1): p. 52-60.

27. Burgdorfer, W., Vector/host relationships of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Rheum Dis Clin North Am, 1989. 15(4): p. 775-87.

28. Burgdorfer, W., et al., Relationship of Borrelia burgdorferi to its arthropod vectors. Scand J Infect Dis Suppl, 1991. 77: p. 35-40.

29. Baranton, G., N. Marti Ras, and D. Postic, [Borrelia burgdorferi, taxonomy, pathogenicity and spread]. Ann Med Interne (Paris), 1998. 149(7): p. 455-8.

30. Williamson, P.K. and J.J. Calabro, Lyme disease–a review of the literature. Semin Arthritis Rheum, 1984. 13(3): p. 229-34.

31. Berger, B.W., O.J. Clemmensen, and A.B. Ackerman, Lyme disease is a spirochetosis. A review of the disease and evidence for its cause. Am J Dermatopathol, 1983. 5(2): p. 111-24.

Competing interests: None declared.

From the same thread :

Lyme Disease - Another Perspective of a Scientist-Patient

As a former HCV researcher and current Lyme patient, I am always surprised by new articles on the “Lyme Wars,” though I think I am beginning to detect a pattern in them. These articles are usually opinion pieces, and they often manage to gloss over most of the really interesting microbiology, both new and old, that’s been done on spirochetal infections. I can never understand why that is, but then scientists are always surprised when basic science is ignored for political reasons, which has been happening in the biological, climatological, and evolutionary fields lately. I suspect in the case of Lyme disease that dismissing the current science, as Ms. Tonks does by characterizing Lyme as “a simple bacterial infection”, has more to do with real estate values than it does with moral ones.

Dec

19

The Essential Treatment is basically

Body weight in pounds/10 = total daily consumption in grams, so
1 gram of Salt, and
1 gram of Vitamin C
for each 10 pounds of body weight.
Use pure salt (sodium chloride) without any additives such as
aluminum silica, or iodine

If you use powdered salt or Vitamin C be aware that
1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 grams, thus
1 tablespoon (tbs) = 15 grams.

One should space out these into three or more doses each day.
For example, a 150 pound individual would swallow 15 grams
of each in total as
5 grams of each in the morning,
5 grams of each at midday and
5 grams of each in the evening.

Total daily consumption should not exceed
18 grams of each per day.

Drink lots of water.

High doses can be very hard on the stomach.
Experiment; start with lower doses, such as
3 grams each 5 times a day
to get your daily total.
Again, drink plenty of water.

Treatment protocol developed by individuals at lymephotos.com
From Here :

© 2006-2007 lymephotos.com

Dec

19

Anti-Biotics

December 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment

From Here :

The layperson’s guide to antibiotics.

What they are, how they work, when they will not work,

Extended information and links.

Dec

18

From Here :

While antimicrobial resistance predates the clinical use of antimicrobials, it is clear that medical and prescribing practices over the past half-century have encouraged resistance development and spread in human (and animal)pathogens, and thus compromised the use of many antimicrobials in the treatment of infectious diseases.

Despite the current focus on Gram-positive pathogens and mycobacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, particularly multiple antibiotic-resistant organisms, remain a major threat in infectious disease treatment.
In an era of decreasing microbial susceptibility to currently available antimicrobials, there is a pressing need to develop new agents and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of Gram-negative infectious diseases.
This review defines the problem of multidrug resistance in important Gram-negative human pathogens, and describes recent approaches to overcoming multidrug resistance in these organisms.

Dec

18

The consistent finding of numerous unexpected biologic agents at atypically high levels (some thought to be non-pathogens, others definitely pathogenic) strongly supports that an immune deficiency state exists in Morgellons patients.

Agents identified serologically include many zoonoses (intermittently and in low numbers) such as Borrelia (at least five species) and Babesia, a single recently found gram negative bacterium, most herpes viruses, some strongly activated such as VZV and HHV-6, several mycology species (esp. Tineas), and particularly in those we have labeled Morgellons patients, parasites (species will be elaborated following PCR sequencing).

Dec

18

Random Images

December 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment

picture-088.jpgpicture-097.jpgpicture-094.jpgpicture-082.jpgpicture-058.jpgpicture-090.jpgpicture-052.jpgpicture-065.jpgpicture-038.jpgpicture-027.jpg

Dec

18

Toxic Corn

December 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment

From Here :

In May 2007, Archives of Environmental Toxicology and Contamination published one of the first studies linking a commercialized GE crop to health problems in mammals.

The study, authored by researchers from the Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (Comité de Recherche et d’Information Indépendantes sur le Génie Génétique-CRIIGen) re-analyzed safety tests from rat-feeding trials of a GE corn submitted by Monsanto to European regulatory authorities.

Despite Monsanto’s claim that the feeding trials showed no significant differences between the GE corn and conventional corn, the independentre-analysis of the results found abnormalities in the kidneys and liver as well asdifferences in growth rates between the two groups.Monsanto corn MON 863 is geneticallyengineered to produce an insecticide providing the plant with resistance to Western and Northern corn rootworms (Diabrotica spp.), pests endemic to Eastern and Central North America.

It belongs to a category of GE crops called Bt (as in Bt corn), because it produces a toxin similar to a protein—Cry3b1—produced by the natural bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Bt bacteria in small doses acts as a natural insecticide and has been used for decades by organic farmers to deal with sporadic infestations of certain agricultural pests. Monsanto hoped to confer these properties of resistance to MON863.

Genes to produce the insecticidal protein Cry3b1 as well as a gene conferring antibiotic resistance were introduced to a line of conventional (i.e., non-GE) corn, A634, by means of particle bombardment. MON863 differs from other Bt corn marketed in Canada (MON 810, Bt 11, Bt 176) in that these earlier varieties produced a slightly different toxin which targeted the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis). MON863 was approved for unconfined release in Canada in March 2003.
This means that it can be grown anywhere in Canada where corn is normally grown.

Health Canada approved MON863 for human consumption two weeks later.

By the time MON863 received approval in Canada, warning signs were appearing across the Atlantic. In September 2002, experts at the French Genetic Engineering Commission began raising critical questions regarding the test data derived from Monsanto’s rat feeding study with MON863. German authorities similarly published warnings that the Cry3b1 protein possesses similarities to other toxins which were of high relevance to human health.

For the next two years, Greenpeace worked with independent researchers and activists in Europe to obtain the release of the original test studies so that they could be submitted to
independent analysis by a transparent body. Although Monsanto sought to maintain the results of the feeding trials as confidential, German authorities finally released the documents to Greenpeace in 2005.

Greenpeace published thesefindings and turned them over to CRIIGen for independent analysis. The results of the CRIIGen analysis were published in the Arizona-based, peer-reviewed
scientific journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology in May 2007.

Greenpeace Blog

Dec

11

Pseudomonas.sp

December 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment

From Here :

The bacterium Pseudomonas flourescens has been modified with a number of different Cry delta-endotoxin genes from different subspecies of Bacillus thruingiensis (Bt)……

The Pseudomonas family are also a factor to consider in any discussion on Morgellon’s Disease.

Briefly, this is my experience.
I developed a nasty ear infection after swimming in a river in South West France in the Summer of 1997.
It took 2 years to clear the mess, and it moved from ear to ear, despite anti-biotics.
Since then, I have had ear problems with regularity and I found out recently, that the infection was Pseudomonas.sp.
However, I do not know which strain.

I do know though, that ear infections are a common problem for Morgellon’s sufferers.

Pseudomonas maltophilia
Pseudomonas Putida
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas Flourescens

Pseudomonads are important in the balance of nature and also in the economy of human affairs.
Pseudomonads are globally active in aerobic decomposition and biodegradation, and hence, they play a key role in the carbon cycle.
Pseudomonas species are renowned for their abilities to degrade compounds which are highly refractory to other organisms, including aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, fatty acids, insecticides and other environmental pollutants.
Apparently, the only organic compounds that these pseudomonads can’t attack are teflon, styrofoam and one-carbon organic compounds (methane, methanol, formaldehyde, etc.).
Pseudomonads are also a regular component of microbial food spoilage in the field, in the market place, and in the home.

From Here :

Mucoid strains have a slime layer made up of alginate (a repeating exopolysaccharide of ManUA and GlcUA) that forms the matrix of the Pseudomonas biofilm.

Dec

11

T.mentagrophites

December 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment

From Here :

Diseases of keratinized areas of humans and animals

Hydrolysis of keratin by keratinases is an important aspect of fungal pathogenesis.

For dermatophytes to induce active infection, the arthroconidia lodging on the skin surface must be able to penetrate the stratum corneum.
According to the in vitro model presented by Aljabre et al. the pattern of dermatophyte growth on stratum corneum occurs in three stages, germination of arthroconidia, penetration of stratum corneum followed by formation of arthroconidia.
If the arthroconidia have a fastidious requirement for germination, then the chances for successful penetration and invasion of the skin tissues are drastically reduced. T. mentagrophytes is not fastidious and readily germinates in the presence of high humidity and nutrients provided by the stratum corneum.
This probably explains why fungal skin infections are higher in warm and humid conditions.

Hashimoto and Blumenthal found that activating conidia of T. mentagrophytes by holding them in distilled water at 28°C for 24h resulted in a significant increase in germination.

Epidemiologically this indicates that activated arthroconidia are highly infectious for normally hydrated skin.

Dec

11

Gold

December 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment

From Here :
ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF GOLD COMPOUNDS

The implication of microbial infection as a causative agent in arthritis was the stimulus for the investigation of the antimicrobial properties of gold complexes.

The early work by Robert Koch, demonstrated, that gold compounds were active against the TB bacillus.

Subsequent extensive work in the 1930’s and 1940’s demonstrated that a variety of gold compounds were active against a broad spectrum of microorganisms.
Activity in in vitro test systems was demonstrated against both gram negative and gram positive bacteria,a number of strains of mycoplasma, and the protozoan Leishmania.

Gold complexes were able to modify the course of a number of in vivo infections in a variety of animal hosts.

There are indications that the anti-arthritic gold complexes may suppress H. pylori infections in the gastric mucosa,a causative agent for peptic ulcers, and that gold phosphine complexes in vitro are cytocidal towards Pseudomonas putida.

Dec

11

Frankincense

December 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment

From Here :

Frankincense resin is distilled by steam or CO2 to extract its precious essential oil, which is used extensively in modern aromatherapy.
This oil is rejuvenating to the skin, treating acne, bacterial and fungal infections, and to treat wounds and scars. Thus, it is used in cosmetics, soaps, and perfumes.
The University of Munich found the anti-inflammatory properties of frankincense very effective as a treatment for joint pain and arthritis.
The famous eleventh-century Arabian physician, Avicenna, recommended its cooling effects as a remedy for infections and illnesses that increase the body’s temperature. Greek and Roman physicians used Frankincense in the treatment of a great variety of diseases. Frankincense remedies appear in the Syriac Book of Medicine, ancient Muslim texts, and in Ayurvedic and Chinese medical writings.

Frankincense is also a natural insecticide and was used in ancient Egypt to fumigate wheat silos and repel wheat moths.
In Arabia, the smoke of burning frankincense resin is used to repel mosquitoes and sand flies. Researchers have found that burning frankincense indoors improves the acoustic properties of the room. Dioscorides described how the bark of the tree was put into water to attract fish into nets and traps.
In ancient Egypt the resin was a key ingredient for embalming their dead.

Dec

9

Myrrh

December 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment

From Here :

Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by Fasciola (a liver fluke that infects sheep, goats, and cattle), for which humans act as an accidental host.
Human fascioliasis is becoming an increasingly important problem in many countries, including Egypt, with increasing frequency in many governorates.

Outbreaks have occurred in other countries.

Myrrh is an oleo gum resin obtained from the stem of Commiphora molmol (family Burseraceae), a tree that grows innortheast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

The drug is chiefly collected in Somalia.

Much of the resin is obtained by collecting it from spontaneous exudation from the cracks and fissures that commonly form in the plant’s bark. Myrrh contains 7–17% volatile oil, 25–40% resin, 57–61% gum, and 3–4% impurities. Myrrh is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for food use (21 Code of Federal Registration–CFR 172.510) and was given generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status asa flavor ingredient (No. 2765) by the Flavor Extract Manufacturer’s Association (FEMA).12,13 The council of Europe included myrrh in the list of plants and parts thereof that are acceptablefor use in foods.

Because drugs that act on schistosomiasis may also act on other parasites, and because myrrh was found to be effective in the treatment of schistosomiasis (with a high cure rate and without side effects, we decided to try a myrrh-derived drug on patients with fascioliasis to see if it proved beneficial.
The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a new fasciolicide that may offer a new promising approach in the treatment of fascioliasis.

Dec

4

worm1.jpg
NEUROWORM© is a industrial-design neuro-nematode. From Here :

There are two sexes: a self-fertilizing hermaphrodite and a male. The adult essentially comprises a tube, the exterior cuticle, containing two smaller tubes, the pharynx and gut, and the reproductive system. Most of the volume of the worm-implantat is taken up by the reproductive system. Of the 324 somatic cells of the hermaphrodite some 300 are neurons. Neural structures include a battery of sense organs in the head which mediate responses to taste, smell, temperature, touch and do programmed medical jobs.

worm11.jpg

Dec

2

Keratin is one of the most abundant animal proteins on earth as it forms a part of the exoskeleton of reptiles, birds and mammals.
Among the microbes that cycle this protein in nature,keratinophilic fungi are very common and the most diverse.
During the course of evolution, many of the soil-associated keratinophilic fungi have adopted a pathogenic life cycle and are now potential agents of fungal diseases in humans and animals.

From Here :

With more here from Dr Fungus on the organisms that infect human hair, skin and nails.

The Tinea family are keratin degraders. Tinea’s are mentioned by the Morgellons Research Foundation as being a constituent part of Morgellons disease.

….The consistent finding of numerous unexpected biologic agents at atypically high levels (some thought to be non-pathogens, others definitely pathogenic) strongly supports that an immune deficiency state exists in Morgellons patients. Agents identified serologically include many zoonoses (intermittently and in low numbers) such as Borrelia (at least five species) and Babesia, a single recently found gram negative bacterium, most herpes viruses, some strongly activated such as VZV and HHV-6, several mycology species (esp. Tineas), and particularly in those we have labeled Morgellons patients, parasites (species will be elaborated following PCR sequencing).

From Here :

Dec

2

From Here :
Globally, Frogs are threatened with un-natural extinction by a Keratin degrading fungus.

Dec

2

From Here :
A very interesting Venezuelan site, with extraordinary images, used to illustrate the similarity between some tropical diseases and new emerging global illness.

Phaeohyphomycosis

A young man from the Venezuelan Andes presenting some dark foci in his face and neck which formed in several months. They increased in numbers, got larger and were covered by crusts.

More information on this illness from Dr Fungus……

phaeohyphomycosis.jpg

Nov

30

From Here :

Antifungal combination therapy has a more than 30-year history.

In 1971 Medoff and coworkers observed for the first time a synergistic effect of flucytosin (5FC) with amphotericin B (Amph B) in vitro.

At the same time the monotherapy with 5FC caused in clinical trials a significant increase of resistant mutants.

These two events are the roots of an exciting scientific development; from the finding of additive effects in vitro, over sophisticated animal models to clinical trials.

Combination therapy of 5FC plus Amph B became the gold standard for the acute phase of cryptococcal meningitis and was also used for other opportunistic fungal diseases in severely immunosuppressed patients.

Nov

27

From Here :
flatfibre.jpg

picture-117.jpgpicture-118.jpgpicture-127.jpgpicture-122.jpgpicture-120.jpgpicture-108.jpgpicture-105.jpgpicture-101.jpgpicture-104.jpgpicture-102.jpg

Nov

26

From Here :

This ‘Broom-like’ organism is aerobic, it burrows under the skin of a host [possibly using the 'spiked' structures on its extensions and it seems to carry stages within its appendages, possibly attached to them by a layer of material [secreted? - EPS or EPS-like?]. It displaces itself into the skin rather quickly. I found this one in Sputum; the relevance of this finding is unclear for the time being. [Is it a facultative ectoparasite? Of the skin? A parasite of one or more layers of the skin? Of humans? Zoonotic?]

skindiver.jpg
skindiver11.jpg

The images above were taken by Restorative Health Research

Images of fungal spores
spore.gif
From Here :

Nov

26

From Here :
In the past 2 decades, Burkholderia cepacia has emerged as a human pathogen causing numerous outbreaks, particularly among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. holmes2t.jpgOne highly transmissible strain has spread across North America and Britain, and another between hospitalized CF and non-CF patients. Meanwhile, the organism has been developed as a biopesticide for protecting crops against fungal diseases and has potential as a bioremediation agent for breaking down recalcitrant herbicides and pesticides. However, B. cepacia is inherently resistant to multiple antibiotics; selection of strains “safe” for environmental application is not at present possible phenotypically or genotypically; molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic studies demonstrate that highly transmissible strains emerge randomly; and the organism has a capacity for rapid mutation and adaptation (facilitated by numerous insertion sequences), and a large, complex genome divided into separate chromosomes. Therefore, the widespread agricultural use of B. cepacia should be approached with caution.

From Here :
Care and concern for the environment are leading scientists to develop biological alternatives to the present chemical strategy in the agro-industry and to reduce environmental chemical pollution. Control of plant diseases, insects and nematodes by bacteria and fungi has been proposed as an alternative or supplement to chemical pesticides. Roots and rhizospheres of various crops such as corn, maize, rice, pea, sunflower, and radish can be colonised by B. cepacia-like organisms, some of which produce a variety of antimicrobial compounds that are active against soil pathogens. Using these B. cepacia-like organisms as seed inoculants or root dips can increase crop yields significantly. Moreover, when there are no soil pathogens, a significant growth promoting effect has been reported.
The exceptional nutritional potential of some B. cepacia strains is being used in the bioremediation of hazardous waste sites and effluents. Carcinogenic or toxic products such as ethers present in gasoline, polycyclic aromatic compounds and other constituents of crude oils and coal, herbicides such as 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, the principal component of Agent Orange, can be efficiently degraded by certain B. cepacia strains

Nov

26

blood102.jpg
Subject No. 1 : Anomalous variation in blood cell structure.
Highly visible with use of red laser light.
Magnification 750x

blood103.jpg
Subject No. 1 : Same anomaly under normal visible light.
Much more difficult to detect without the use of the laser light.
Magnification 750x.

From Here :

As time is short for now, the parting comments here will be brief. It is quite clear to me what work needs to be done. The main question that remains is who is going to help to get it done, when are they going to do it, and to what ends are they going to serve? I will do my best to avoid drawing any premature conclusions on the nature of what is being described in this and previous reports. I believe that the photographs presented during recent days speak quite well for themselves. It does seem clear, however, that certain critical issues have been deliberately avoided; to what end only time may tell. I am not making claim on what the nature is that is being shown here; I am making claim that we all need to know what that nature is as quickly as possible. I will offer a suggestion, and it only a suggestion without warranty. It does seem reasonable to consider that a fungal nature(fungemia) or a modified fungal nature may be involved; this has been alluded to earlier and is in keeping with many of the health symptoms that we have been witness now to for many years. It is quite conceivable(and not unexpected) that even more exotic methods of biology or artificial constructs are involved with the Morgellon’s issue; that too will have to find its way in proof that is apparent to all.

Nov

26

m2-10.jpg

One fiber sample at a magnifcation of 750x.
Notice the internal structure of the fiber that begins to appear at this point.
From Here :

Summary:

Attention has been called to the salient points of observation and need. My personal opinions on the failure of governmental and health organizations on this issue have been noted. The need for parallel examination in detail on the airborne fibrous samples refused by the EPA has been stated. There is no suitable excuse or rationale for inaction on the discoveries that have been disclosed. My ability and time to conduct research of this nature remains limited. My appeal to the professional community to serve the public welfare has been reaffirmed. It is quite expected that more capable resources will provide discovery beyond what can be accomplished here. The Morgellon’s condition is a public health concern and issue, and it is that interest that must be served. Those that have suffered, are suffering, and those that will suffer are entitled to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect. We must all act unselfishly to diminish and alleviate this pain, suffering and ill health that we are now subject to. Infinite appreciation is extended to the person that has graciously provided for the observations that are the substance of this report.

Nov

26

morgobs13×400.jpg
Magnification approximately 1400x.
Numerous fibers are now available; this conglomerate not visible to the naked eye.
Notice internal structures becoming increasingly visible.
Biological natures are more strongly indicated at this point of observation.

From Here :

The conclusion of this report is necessarily brief at this time. The basic conclusions that can be made are as follows. First, there has been a complete failure of the formal medical community, non-profit organizations and government to adequately research and distribute information to the public on the nature of the Morgellons condition. If the samples studied and shown here are in any way representative of the Morgellons disease, they show that any effort to influence the public to accept this evidence as being of psychological origin or as insignificant are disingenuous at the highest level.
Any motive of secrecy and or misinformation is to be confronted directly and disclosed. The so-called efforts at research by various organizations, including non-profit, university and government are to be called into question; there is a serious lack of informing the public as to the basic nature of the condition. No citizen should be assuming the risk of attempting to identify the nature of this illness.
The traditional medical community and government health organizations have already displayed an appalling failure of addressing the urgency of this matter. I call upon all of those individuals or groups with the proper resources to strike to the core of this issue as quickly as possible, and to disclose all results of the findings to the public as they occur.

Nov

22

From Here :
It seems Parasites control host behaviour.

Could it be that human parasites modulate our behaviour to create favourable conditions ?

Perhaps it is worth mentioning that Burgdorfer notes the Nematamorph or Horsehair worm being found in a ticks gut he was examining…..

From here :

” The adult nematomorph is a short-lived, non-feeding stage. Much to our surprise, we read that when Dr. Willy Burgdorferi dissected the deer tick and discovered the bacteria, he noted the presence of microfilarial worms in a small sample of the ticks, though at the time he saw no significance.”

Research on Toxoplasma gondii, a cat parasite, suggests that chronic infection causes subtle behavioral, personality, and psychological changes in infected people.

From Here :and Here :

Nov

15

From Here :

Morgellons disease is a mysterious skin disorder that was first described over 300 years ago. The disease is characterized by fiber-like strands extruding from the skin in association with dermatologic and neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms. Although Morgellons disease has been confused with delusional parasitosis, the occurrence of the disease in children, the lack of pre-existing psychopathology in most patients and the presence of subcutaneous fibers on skin biopsy indicate that the disease has a somatic origin. The association with Lyme disease and the apparent response to antibiotic therapy supports the concept that Morgellons disease may be triggered by an infectious process. Recent studies suggest that infection with Agrobacterium may play a role in the disease. Further clinical and molecular research is needed to unlock the mystery of Morgellons disease.

From Here :

COMMON LABORATORY ABNORMALITIES

Elevated cytokines: TNF-alpha, IL-6, TGF-beta; elevated inflammation markers: C-reactive protein and TNF-alpha; Immunodeficiency markers: low CD 56 or CD 57 number, low C1Q, low IgG subclasses 1 and 3; hematological abnormalities: low hemoglobin and hematocrit with abnormal RBC indices; and biochemical abnormalities: elevated blood glucose, insulin, calcium, and serum Homocysteine, and low serum potassium and magnesium.

The consistent finding of numerous unexpected biologic agents at atypically high levels (some thought to be non-pathogens, others definitely pathogenic) strongly supports that an immune deficiency state exists in Morgellons patients. Agents identified serologically include many zoonoses (intermittently and in low numbers) such as Borrelia (at least five species) and Babesia, a single recently found gram negative bacterium, most herpes viruses, some strongly activated such as VZV and HHV-6, several mycology species (esp. Tineas), and particularly in those we have labeled Morgellons patients, parasites (species will be elaborated following PCR sequencing).

Nov

15

The visual appearance of the fingernails and toenails may suggest an underlying systemic disease. Clubbing of the nails often suggests pulmonary disease or inflammatory bowel disease. Koilonychia, or “spoon-shaped” nails, may stimulate a work-up for hemochromatosis or anemia. In the absence of trauma or psoriasis, onycholysis should prompt a search for symptoms of hyperthyroidism. The finding of Beau’s lines may indicate previous severe illness, trauma, or exposure to cold temperatures in patients with Raynaud’s disease. In patients with Muehrcke’s lines, albumin levels should be checked, and a work-up done if the level is low. Splinter hemorrhage in patients with heart murmur and unexplained fever can herald endocarditis. Patients with telangiectasia, koilonychia, or pitting of the nails may have connective tissue disorders.
From Here :

keep looking »
September 2010
M T W T F S S
« Nov    
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  

Links